Kate Middleton wears eco-friendly brooch given to her by Queen at palace reception

IT WAS her glittering tiara, once belonging to Princess Diana, that got all the attention yesterday evening at a palace reception.

But Kate Middleton also accessorised with a special brooch given to her by the Queen - and it's got some eco-friendly credentials.

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The Duchess of Cambridge, 37, wore the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II with an embellished Jenny Packham gown and her late mother-in-law's dazzling Lover's Knot head-piece.

It's an honour given by the monarch to female members of the royal family - but it is traditional made out of ivory.

Since the valuable material is often acquired by killing elephants for their tusks - with its sale now banned in the UK - the mum-of-three had hers made from glass instead.

She was given the brooch, which features a painting of the Queen pinned to yellow ribbon, by Her Majesty in April 2018 for services to the sovereign.

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Kate debuted the brooch at a Buckingham Palace dinner in October 2018.

On that occasion, she paired it with a blue Alexander McQueen gown, the aforementioned Lover's Knot tiara and a diamond and pearl necklace first owned by Queen Alexandra in the 19th century.

The decoration is often worn during official state occasions.

It was first revealed Kate's was made from glass not ivory by Majesty managing editor Joe Little on last year.

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The move is thought to have been made after Prince William's personal fight to end the ivory trade.

Other royal women to have been given the award include Sophie, Countess of Wessex, in 2010 and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in 2012.

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Last night, Kate arrived at Buckingham Palace with the Duke of Cambridge to celebrate the annual white tie Diplomatic Corps reception.

Her tiara was made in 1914, and given to the Princess of Wales by the Queen as a wedding gift in 1981 - and has been regularly worn by the Duchess in recent years.

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